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Google Home learns how to multitask

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Google’s smart speaker got a little smarter this week, with the addition of a multitasking feature. The new capability makes it possible for the device to accomplish two different missions at the same time. It was rolled out with little fanfare and first noted by CNET. We’ve since confirmed the addition with Google. It’s a bit surprising that the company rolled it out to Home units with no mention. It’s a handy addition to what’s essentially been a single-minded device. The company has been promising to add Routines since the Pixel 2 event a few months back, essentially creating pre-determined scenes that tie a bunch of actions to a command (something that’s been supported by both Siri and Alexa for a while).  This is something else, though. Rather than having to preload all of that via an app, you can simply ask it to perform two jobs simultaneously. Only two, though. Not three or four — that would be flying a little too close to the sun. You also have to separate tasks into individua
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Cable-laying drone wires up remote Welsh village

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Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption WATCH: Are drones the answer to providing high-speed broadband access to rural communities? A drone has helped bring superfast broadband services to an isolated Welsh village. Cable company Openreach used the drone to avoid having to lay cable across "challenging" terrain that included woods, a river and steep hills. The drone was flown across a section of forest near Pontfadog, Wrexham, to help sling wires between telegraph poles. The community's 20 homes now have access to ultrafast broadband that can run at speeds of up to 1Gbps. Video buffer "It's a bit different to connecting an apartment block in London, that's for sure," said Openreach chief engineer Andy Whale. "If we tried running the cable through woods it was also very likely we'd get it caught up in branches and other natural obstructions, so we figured the best option was to fly it in over the top of the tree canopy and
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Apple marks World AIDS Day with in-store and in-app donations

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After raising $160 million for the Global fund as part of its partnership with (RED), Apple is marking tomorrow’s World AIDS Day by offering up a bunch of opportunities to donate. The easiest of the bunch is the company’s promise to donate $1 to the fund for every transaction made with Apple Pay at the company’s retail stores, on its site or in-app. In honor of the occasion, 400 of the company’s stores will turn their logos red for the week, and the App Store will offer content devoted to the event. All of the proceeds from in-app purchases made on Candy Crush Saga, Candy Crush Jelly Saga and Candy Crush Soda Saga, meanwhile, will also go to benefit the fund. Apple’s fundraising makes up more than a fifth of the $500 million (RED) has raised for the Global Fund since starting. The partnership has raised $30 million this year thus far, and provided the equivalent of 475 million days of medication since starting, according to the company. “Connecting through our products and services hel
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Facebook will temporarily disable a tool that lets advertisers exclude people of color

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Facebook has been under fire for its practices and policies that enable advertisers to exclude “multicultural affinity” groups from the audiences they reach via the social network. Now, in light of a ProPublica investigation and pressure from the Congressional Black Caucus, Facebook says it’s committed to taking a closer look at its advertising policies, its COO Sheryl Sandberg wrote in a letter to CBC Chairperson Cedric Richmond. Until Facebook figures out how to ensure advertisers don’t use its tools in a discriminatory way, Facebook will temporarily disable the option that lets advertisers exclude multicultural affinity groups from their audience. As Sandberg wrote in her letter to the CBC, multicultural affinity groups “are made up of people whose activities on Facebook suggest they may be interested in ads related to the African American, Hispanic American, or Asian American communities.” Multicultural marketing, Sandberg said in her letter, is common in the ad industry. There are
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Drones to deliver rural broadband... huh?

Will the government fulfil its manifesto promise that every home and business in the country will have high-speed broadband by 2020? The company that it will have to rely on to make that happen - Openreach - is warning it could risk missing the target unless the government decides soon how it will allow it to do the work. Openreach has come up with a unique way to try and deliver that broadband. You can listen to the Today programme daily from 6-9am and on Saturdays 7-9am.
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7Seas Connect Enhanced Callback Service (iCallME)

7Seas Connect is glad to announce the release of its enhanced callback service iCallMe. The new enhanced Callback service offers a new set of features including Speed dialing, balance and minutes announcements and tag on call. 7seas Callback service is a great way to save on international calls for customers traveling overseas or customers living outside of the United States and wish to make international calls for much less. Why use our Callback service? Accessible from any phone: No need to switch or contact your phone service provider. You have the freedom to use our service from any phone you desire at anytime. Minimize your international calling cost: With our low rates and premium quality, you will be paying less for all your international calls, yet enjoying our premium voice quality. Available from anywhere in the world: Whether you are traveling overseas or living outside of the United States, you now have the freedom to call from anywhere to anywhere in the world even if your
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Qualcomm alleges that Apple’s iPhone infringes on Palm Pre patents

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Shortly after the announcement of the iPhone X in September, my colleague Natasha Lomas noted the similarities between the phone and how WebOS operated on the Palm Pre. She ended her article, noting “in the iPhone X it’s clear you’re looking at a little ghost of the Pre.” It seems that Qualcomm’s legal team was taking note; they cited that line in a complaint alleging that Apple ripped off Palm’s patented interface. In the latest escalation of the nearly year-long legal battle, Qualcomm filed three complaints Wednesday in U.S. District Court alleging violations on 16 different Qualcomm patents by Apple, some related to RF transceivers and power-saving measures, some related to multi-touch displays and some related to the innovations of Palm. Why does Qualcomm care about Palm? Well, in 2014 Qualcomm bought a bunch of Palm patents from HP, some apparently related to the company’s design choices for WebOS and the Pre. In the complaint, Qualcomm specifically alleges that Apple copied the o
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